


Unlikely Loners

by Maengune



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-16 21:37:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21043178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maengune/pseuds/Maengune
Summary: Reimu and Alice meet again for the second time. [Alice POV]





	Unlikely Loners

3 months have passed since the endless winter happened. Gensokyo, the oriental land of illusions had long attracted both humans and youkai alike with its unique flow within the wheel of life; a land that moves in the same manner as any other but with more exaggeration, much to the surprise of the denizen. The rise and fall of the sun and the moon, the changes of the four seasons, and the cycle of life and death among living beings, Gensokyo had nurtured all of those and that all who had lived in it were almost one with the land.

It was not surprising that one day during May, people noticed that winter was not showing any signs of stopping. Everyone became restless. It was supposed to be the month for flower viewing but the warmth of spring never showed up to embrace them. A lot questioned the bizarre event while some ignored the matter and lived on with their life. The long winter nearly became normal until a certain human finally decided to make a move. She flew briskly to the sky, defeated all those who opposed her and went into the depths of the Netherworld itself just so to discover the truth.

When the endless winter took place, I was one of those who became wary of the abnormal change. The human who solved the stolen spring was the infamous shrine maiden, Reimu Hakurei. It was more of a coincidence that we crossed paths when she was heading towards the entrance of the Netherworld and I was trying to gather the pieces of spring that I could find from all over the place. My instincts told me that time that she was the same Reimu I knew, my mind jumping vividly to my years in Makai. Although her overall appearance changed, she was still the same person. She was the same shrine maiden who defeated me years ago. Despite looking rather meek, I heard her enormous power came from her bloodline and the sole reason for the monstrosity within her; the power to exterminate every evil force in this world. I felt that power head-on. I trembled. Her power was the ultimate force but she was still kind and sympathized with me even though I am a youkai. We became friends soon after.

So I say that but the moment I introduced myself again, my eyes beaming with the delight of meeting such a wonderful friend once more, the red-white miko was clueless who Alice Margatroid was. I had no idea what was more vexing; the fact that Reimu forgot who I was or the moment when I felt my heart stopped when I took another glimpse of her strong aura. Either way, I was a proud magician. I was a human turned youkai due to my training. My nature at that time was different. I was innocent. I was naïve. I did not know the importance of magic and its roots to self-enlightenment. There was a powerful opponent in front of me and the only thing that came into my mind was to fight her. I had no reason to be hostile like her previous opponents. In fact, I had no reason to fight her at all. She was just there and my magic thirsted for improvement.

It wasn't like I was expecting a win though. Well, with that said, she defeated me senseless, almost mercilessly if I may add. I was so full of myself that I blurted about being a seven-colored puppeteer and the overwhelming difference of her power to mine in digits. I couldn't believe she drastically improved over the years I hadn't seen her. Maybe I wasn't training hard enough but that hurt deep down. I cannot tell whether it was a direct hit to my ego but that clash was eye-opening. The maiden of Hakurei was really…something else.

After that, I noticed exactly how Gensokyo was such a lively place: both subjectively and objectively speaking. Everyone lived on and the incident was nearly forgotten. Apparently, a disturbance like that was just a routine for everyone. Everything that was out of the ordinary wasn't something to fret about in this land. Humans and even youkai had all moved on with their lives as the withering aura of winter turned into a fragment of the past.

Years passed since I left Makai and settled here in Gensokyo. To be honest, it wasn't a fun and quick trip, more or less, an immediate comfort for the likes of an alien-like me. I thought that was going to be the case but the difference between the cultures of the two opposing lands was hard enough for me to ease in.

Makai was a dangerous place. It was a place where demons and otherworldly spirits reside. The whole land was harsh and filled with miasma that was physically harmful to both humans and youkai. There were still some who would enter the place to strengthen their magical spells. Even a mere human with no aptitude for magic or whatsoever can learn with ease in such a cruel environ. However, it was still a gamble that involved life and death. A simple mistake could kill anyone.

To put it simply, Makai was hell in itself.

On the other hand, Gensokyo was the exact opposite of the grim life in Makai. It's considered a utopia for both youkai and humans. It's the ideal paradise and everything works in favor of the creatures living in it. The mountains, the sun, the changing colors of the sky, the trees; these were some of the things I had never expected to encounter in my old home. It's a beautiful land if I may say so. Even the weak and pitiful humans had the power to defend themselves against youkai through the means of colorful projectiles in varying sizes. They call the exchange of magical bullets as Danmaku. It's the only non-lethal way for these two rivals to pit on with one another with a fair chance to tell the tale for tomorrow. I lived in this so-called utopia for a year now and so to speak, I've grown to love it just like my old home.

Wanted or not, I got a lot of welcomes after peace returned, mostly from humans I never would have imagined meeting. First was from the maid of the red mansion near the Misty Lake. Yes, a maid. I thought maids were nothing but a fantasy but the one that appeared before me was real. She was wearing everything I've read in books; a dark blue French maid's outfit with long sleeves, a white headband, and an apron - not to mention the braids. She stumbled upon my house simply because she got lost looking for mushrooms. I was used to that. A lot of people wandered inside the Forest of Magic (where I've made such a humble home) to fulfill their duties but only ended up lost in the way. My house was more of a beacon of hope for them and I, a certain someone who wanted to blend in, welcomed all of them without any reservations.

Sakuya was a pretty decent person to talk to. She held exactly the elegance of a proper woman. She was tall. She had fine silver hair and deep blue eyes. Her face was both strong and sharp but her voice gave such a humble tone in contrast. She would talk about her life in the Scarlet Mansion; her duties and the strict rules she implemented as the chief maid. I wished the people I met would all act just like her but they say life would be dull if there wasn't someone opposite of your personality to enter your life and annoy you every day.

Enter Kirisame Marisa, the only human to enter my house without permission to do so. It almost felt like a robbery than a welcome though. That short, blonde girl wearing a black and white dress also lived in the Forest of Magic and I always see her frequent places where mushrooms grow most. Marisa had an unabashed and loud personality that was very hard to deal with in my case. I mean, I lived in Gensokyo as a loner; living my everyday life making dolls and drinking tea. I felt at peace within this routine of mine but the moment that girl entered my life, everything turned haywire. She would steal - not borrow, books from my collection when I wasn't around. I told her countless times not to do that but she would only present herself in front of me with deaf ears. As time goes on, I grew accustomed to our quarrels and lived with her intrusions as a normal part of my day.

And lastly, the maiden of Hakurei, the very person that never left my mind even after spring returned. She lived in an isolated shrine located on a mountain somewhere in the south. I visited her shrine once. Humans rarely flock that shrine as it was said to be home to various, powerful youkai. I found that quite ironic really but Reimu welcomed them almost as if she never had an option from the start. She did so with me who at first thought of getting welcomed with hostility rather than an immediate acceptance from her. Reimu stood in front of her shrine, sweeping for hours that seemed to have no end without rest. As soon as she saw my figure approaching, she gave me a very bemused look that took me by surprise. She was quick to respond and offered tea as soon as our distance closed. I stayed there until sunset. Reimu, unlike Marisa, was more aloof and speaks only when spoken to. I wouldn't say she was a quiet type of person but possibly more laid back. She just felt like a type of person with a lack of interest among her surroundings even though her presence alone was enough to pull everyone to her. However, despite her negative impression, her mouth would occasionally speak something wise; in between a sentence or even when I would ask her a question regarding this world entirely. She would answer without a miss.

Maybe it was my imagination, but every time I looked at the maiden before my eyes, there was always a trace of loneliness behind that smile.

As the seasons passed on, I started visiting the Hakurei Shrine regularly. It was just an excuse on my part. I was quite bothered by a lot of things especially Marisa but the fact that I saw that from an old friend was enough to haunt my being.

The Hakurei Shrine was the most hyped hangout for flower viewing during spring even though non-human dwellers frequent the place. Reimu was the spotlight among the crowd, surrounded by different people whereas I could only look at her where she couldn't see me. There was a tall, blonde woman wearing a white and purple dress and a pink mob cap on her left, entertaining her with a wine bottle and a lot of sweets much to her dismay. On her right was a small, vampire-like girl underneath a beautiful looking parasol. Her hands were wrapped around Reimu's hand and her bat wings flapped with excitement as she looked at her eagerly. I could see how much endearment these people feel for the shrine maiden in question. Her face beamed with an expression I rarely see from the usual stoic face that she usually wore. Even so, the more those people interact with the maiden involved, the more I could see that loneliness seeping out of her like she had purposely detached herself from people.

I don't get it.

_What's wrong with her?_

_What's wrong with you, Reimu?_

* * *

"I better go to sleep now."

After a long reminisce of the past, I closed the book that I was reading which I never really got to finish. I could only remember a thing or two about the last three sentences. My mind's not really into it lately. I tried to cease my mind from thinking further of that red and white miko. There were just too many questions in my head yet I could only find the answer to them if I asked her directly.

Sighing, I rested my head on the table, my cheek pressed on the hardness of the wooden furniture. The room was lighted by only a small lamp beside the table. It was emitting a yellowish hue now. I figured I haven't replaced the bulb for five months. Except for my prized bookshelf, everything else was in disarray. I had little time to do chores lately. Customizing Shanghai had become the topmost priority that I stopped thinking about trivialities. I need a good puppet ready to be on my aid as incidents in Gensokyo may happen when people least expect it. Again with another sigh, I gave my tired hands a good stretch and stood up, walking towards the open window to get some fresh air.

The moon glared down at me, smiling almost pitifully like I was being looked down upon. I had only imagined that but I couldn't stop myself from staring back. As I stood there, time had no meaning. I became unimportant as the night sky drew me in.

After making sure that all the windows were closed, I dragged my weary body towards the bed which was kind enough to welcome me with open arms. I plopped down, chest first. The smell of the bed sheet was like a drug that entered my nostrils and my eyes turned heavy right away. Finally, a good night's sleep after a lot of thinking; I've always wanted this luxury.

"…"

_Kaaaaaw._

The ravens made a screeching sound in the darkness of the night. There was a sudden gust of chill that entered the room. I lay undisturbed as my mind cried out for sleep to strangle me under the dimly lighted ceiling. The insomnia attacks I've been having for months had turned worse to the point that I had to visit Eientei to meet with that uncanny pharmacist and ask her for sleeping pills. It wasn't a complete relief that I expected but it was more than enough to keep my eyes shut. I found it a little troublesome though that a certain tengu's interest piqued at this matter.

"Geez…"

The flickering flame of the gas lamp went off and the whole room was filled with darkness. Only the tarnished light from the crestfallen moon illuminated this black world. I felt a chill run down my spine all of a sudden. The bed cover moved in a slow-motion like a silent wave pushing towards my motionless body. I was sailing in the movement. I ignored it for a while and thought that maybe it was just my imagination. I was tired. I had to be delusional.

The clock moved its hands together with the rhythm of my heartbeat. I could only stare at the bedsheet in front of me as I waited for my worry to disappear.

"….!"

But it was indeed moving. My back felt like it was carrying an extra weight comparable to that of a human. I shrugged at the thought. Somebody got inside the house, without my knowledge and with an adept skill of intrusion that even my senses could not detect. My mind was telling me to run. My instinct was telling me to use my puppets to strike but for some unknown reason; the stranger had denied me of such feat.

At that moment, my house no longer belonged to me.

"What?"

Not only was I being pinned down helpless, but I could also feel my back in contact with the assailant's hands which were gripped tightly on the folds my clothes. The nightgown I've neatly prepared for this night was torn out of existence starting from the back down to my legs. The cool wind crept all over my body. I moaned almost inaudible yet vulnerable enough as the stranger took it as a sign to probe more of my skin. I was lost in a futile battle. He tardily caressed my exposed back with a finger, forming letters for my enamored mind to read.

_Alice._

The stranger wrote my name. It wasn't really clear for me to tell but was the gist that I could come up with. The softness of the palm; the elegant movement of flesh gave me the conclusion that my assaulter was a woman. My mind laughed, almost excited at the thought. My body surrendered. Deep down inside, I wanted this. To be violated, if that was the right word.

She continued to caress my back. Growing tired of her action perhaps, the stranger's hand withdrew yet I felt her hot breath attacked the line of my spine right after. I flinched at the sensation. My body was even more thrilled at this sensual attack. I tried to move my hand at least. I wanted to see the assaulter's face but she ruled out my chance to do so by crushing my hands on the bed with overwhelming strength. Since I rendered her arms from moving, she started using her face and her tongue emerged out of her mouth to accommodate my seeking skin.

_'I want to see you',_ my mind whispered. It was a desperate plea.

She bit my ear tenderly in response. I burrowed my face on the pillow, suppressing the moan that nearly escaped from my lips. Her scent lingered so strongly I could almost drown. She rolled her tongue on my cheek and traced it down to my neck. I quivered and my body arched a little in response. The pleasure was driving me mad.

My mouth started doing incoherent mewls beyond my comprehension. I could no longer grasp reality. Perhaps I was dreaming a sweet dream. An intoxicating sweet dream of my desires and everything right now was just a manifestation of those. It felt so real, so strong that I stopped caring. No matter what the case was, I wanted to see her face so badly.

She lifted her arms and finally gave me the freedom I longed for. I turned my body to face her. Her full breasts were lying right on top of my mine and I clutched whatever skin she had left for me to claim. We clung tightly to each other, feeling the warmth of our bare flesh.

Ah, that's right…

I cupped her face, tracing her jawline with my finger and made her look at me. Her eyes, a pool of deep crimson that could swallow anything in flames gazed at mine. Fire met the cold, serene color of the ocean and I felt my head doing strange flips as I stare at them: surreal and almost unearthly. I was mesmerized; head in a trance. I could worship these lovely orbs in front of me. She was even more beautiful up close. I lost clear sight of her face as we both started a fiery dance in our mouths enough to melt even my measly existence.

The long night continued and only the sound of our heartbeat in unison filled my ears. I wonder what she would do if she found out that she was my sweet nightmare. That in every sleepless night I had, she would always appear in my mind, violating me like I was hers and I in return would make myself completely bare; lost in her passion; drunk in her crimson orbs.

What do you think, Reimu?

* * *

"Hey, Alice!"

_Knock knock._

"Hello! Alice? Alice!"

_Knock knock knock knock._

No reply.

"I know you're a decent person who knows that one should answer people when they're asking for you."

"Hnnggh…"

I desperately tried to shove that annoying woman's voice out my head. I had just finished breakfast and tea was the next thing in the lineup, until someone finally set foot outside of my house, barking my name like it was the most natural thing to do so early in the morning. Until that happened, I really thought today would be so ordinary.

I left the book I was reading last night on the desk and lazily walked towards the noisy door.

Wait, I just realized something odd. Why would a certain thieving cat, who doesn't know anything but to wreck homes, knock on the door in the first place?

I stayed still for a long time. Just like oil and water, happiness and confusion fought in my mind for supremacy. My brain probably stopped functioning for a second trying to cope with the situation but when I realized how civilized Marisa turned into after not meeting her for almost three days, delight relived almost all the worry on my face. At least with that blonde woman learning how to knock like a human, at last, I wouldn't have to keep on paying for the door getting broken every time she waltzes in.

Relived about that thought, I gripped the doorknob, gave it a little twist and welcomed my unwanted thief with a smile.

"I'm surprised you're finally using the door properly, Ma…"

I cut my sentence short and froze myself at place, literally.

"Good morning."

"…."

I was expecting a black-white mongrel standing on my doorstep right now but instead, my whole vision was filled with the color of white and crimson. From her eyes down to the long skirt that everyone knew, everything was dyed in red. The very delusion that I had last night was standing in front of me, half smiling. Almost immediately, like it was the most natural thing my brain could process right now, I could remember everything that happened that time: how her face would soften from my touch, her sedated face or even the time when we were both so lost in pleasure, I could barely say anything anymore aside from her name.

I blushed as the thought rushed into my head; my face matching the color of her garment. Right now, I wished for nothing but a hole to swallow me. We both looked at each other. After a few seconds of staring at my flustered figure, her eyes suddenly shone. She grinned slightly like an amused cat.

"Oh? Were you expecting a certain blonde magician, perhaps?"

She snickered oh so faintly. I couldn't help but laugh at myself with that query. Granted, I was very sure that that was actually what I've been expecting. Marisa and I hadn't seen each other for almost three days despite being neighbors in the forest. She had left me with books for my leisure and flew away in a hurry. I had been left speechless; I couldn't ask her about her motive. That was last week and her kindness left me dumbstruck. She would never, ever walk away without people knowing her mind regardless of her action. That was the impression of Kirisame Marisa imprinted in my mind so of course, I was expecting to see her again.

"You look cute with glasses by the way."

"!"

She welcomed herself in so as not to make a fool of myself who was standing suspended with the doorknob at hand. The redness of my face won't disappear and I doubt it would after she just said that so casually. I swear I could just get mad at her honesty. She would word out a compliment from that mouth coupled with her usually placid face that could hit a nerve. But, nobody had told me that. In fact, it was the very first time that someone noticed my appearance; let alone wearing glasses.

After gathering my composure, I closed the door and looked at my unexpected guest. Her bewitching presence felt so out of place inside my house. Maybe because she stood on a surrounding that was so western oriented which was in deep contrast to her origin as a shrine maiden or maybe everything around her looked too normal that nothing could compare. Either way, I could only look at her in admiration. Even after all the humiliation, I would still revert to my ridiculous one-sided mooning.

I hate that about myself.

"This is amazing. Your house is so clean."

"Um, yes…"

What could have happened to that pride you so valued, Alice Margatroid?

"Hey, can I sit here?"

She asked with her back faced at me as she pulled the chair. Her lean figure rested on the chair comfortably. To be honest, there wasn't anything interesting in my house, but Reimu looked at everything with a beam of interest. It was perhaps in her nature to observe but I couldn't ask what provoked her excitement.

"Black tea or…?" I asked her as I opened the cupboard, ignoring my primary concern. The teacup I owned all had intricate designs to match the environment of my preference. Everything was neatly in place, much to my surprise. I hadn't had visitors since last week. Marisa was out of the question as that woman never took the time to settle and converse like how a proper guest should.

"The usual." She answered a little thoughtfully; her mind still wandering around. I already knew what she meant and I took the teapot and rinsed it with water. We were both silent and lost in our bemusement. I had nearly thought that this was one of my delusions yet again. I glanced at her; her smiling face was enough reassurance that her presence was real. Again, I found myself captivated by this unique individual. There was a vague uncertainty that hovered in my mind, though whether it was the truth is an unanswerable question.

"Alice?"

She voiced out my name and pulled me out of my reverie. I hurriedly made tea and set the table, looking away so as not to allow her to see my face in shame. She pointed at one corner and my eyes followed only to be abashed immediately by the sight.

"I was wondering if the rumors were true but," Her eyes squinted slightly; her smile widened. She cocked her head towards my direction and whisked the teapot from my hand instinctively.

"You really do make dolls out of everyone, huh?" I dropped whatever I was holding. Fortunately, she took the pot and laid it on the table and we managed to avoid the mess. My face burned with humiliation that I want to scream. At last, she released her laughter. Reimu's chiseled features displayed so much joy yet still tempered with irony. I got lost within the sight that I could care less of my predicament. I was filled with bewilderment that this girl, so strong and indisputable could laugh like nothing else mattered.

Time passed quite rapidly as I explained my peculiar hobby to the venturing miko. Reimu looked at me with interest; her lips forming into tiny lopsided smirks at every tone of my voice. I spoke with all the colors that might interest my guest but I would pause for a few seconds to contemplate reality: a subject that greatly fascinated me before.

I've always wondered how Reimu lived her life in the Hakurei Shrine all alone. I went there countless times yet the more I dig into it, the less I felt I could understand everything. She was absolute. The very law that governed Gensokyo the moment it existed. Without her, the world would crumble and the utopia would be wiped out. The Hakurei was a clan with immeasurable strength and their power grew in every generation. Their role was simply to protect the Great Border and exterminate youkai that would cause harm to people. Yet despite the gravity of her role and its importance to society, Reimu still faced the consequences that followed. She was isolated; a fact that every inhuman 'human' would be sentenced.

Regardless of the treatment, she was calm and spoke without complaint but devoid of emotion that a normal human carried. Equality among everyone became her sole reason; she never loved as nobody dared to love her back. In defiance to her hardened will, it was in her isolation that everyone found her attractive. In her isolation, everyone venerated her. In her isolation, she could live her life as an exterminator without normality hindering her. It was the perfect, lamentable life.

I almost pitied her perhaps because I had people to call my family when I was still a human. I had friends to interact with and I could not complain about anything negative of my life. But I was afraid of loneliness; it was a human nature that I abhor. Life was too short for me to appreciate companionship, to appreciate the essence of interaction. I turned myself inhuman but in its joy was torture in itself. I watched every human friend I had die in front of my eyes. I lost myself eventually and in my madness, I ran to Pandemonium where I met a goddess who taught me of magic.

Ever since then, I stopped caring and viewed humans as trivial creatures; never bothering to share my heart once more. I started living alone and magic was my reason to live. I tasted what I could call a very ironic life.

And then I came to Gensokyo to broaden my knowledge. Everything moved so smoothly until I met her again. We were so alike in more ways than perhaps she and I had realized.

Before we could proceed deeper in our conversation, the sky had already changed from blue to orange and dusk later claimed the land.

"I guess I better get going. There are still things that I have to do."

Amid the silence, I heard her voice. Reimu stood up from the chair, sipping one last time from the teacup. I could only nod in response.  
After she had arranged herself for her departure, I cleared the table from the teacups and plates. I gripped my hand as I held the teacup that she used, smiling bitterly almost on the brink of breaking. I think it would be wrong to say that I wasn't delighted by her company and that I was yearning for more.

She must've felt my uneasiness. Reimu placed a tender hand on my cheek and stroked it so lightly that I could cry here and now. Perhaps it was more of confusion rather than disgust, her eyes widened when I touched her hand and held it so firmly. At the moment, I gave myself to my weakness. At that moment, I felt my human heart emerged. She turned to me, her eyes blazing, but almost immediately, the fire died and she looked terribly lonely. My mouth opened except no words came out.

"I'll visit again tomorrow."

She whispered and soon my hands felt cold. Reimu had vanished in thin air. She was surrounded by a hole with eyes that could perceive everything and in an instant, she disappeared; the black darkness swallowed her entirety. I could only stare at the messed table and wait for the night to end.

I hadn't said anything at that time but Reimu kept the promise she made that night. As summer turned to spring, it felt as though I'd lost the ability to be aware of time progressing. She would visit regularly that I stopped caring about her excuses. Like her upbringing whenever I visited her shrine, I would reciprocate her visits by preparing tea and snacks even before she entered. I was proud of my dexterity to accomplish multiple tasks in one go. Her contentment as she sat on her chair; her expression as she bit from a cookie to another, they were more than enough praise for the effort.

As usual, we would talk about life. She would tell me of her adventures and how she exterminated a group of youkai who entered the human village just of late: in detail to my dismay as my heart could not help but cinch in fear towards the person in front me. But then again, it was Reimu. Even her condescending voice had no meaning unless one started to mess things up: the balance of the world for that matter. She was surely a jest at heart.

Every night as I lay on my bed, I would reflect on my life. As if it came like a miracle, I stopped my frequent visits to Eientei. I no longer required the pills for sleep seemed too had found me and answered my need. However, the delusions wouldn't stop. I had told Reimu about everything in my life, except for this; the part in my heart that harbored impure feelings towards her. It was the cowardly side that I wished to destroy. I was a youkai yet very vulnerable to human sentiments. There were always inconsistencies in my feelings and I naught know which part always had the first step in my judgment.

I could not do anything but lie down and wait for tomorrow; a new day where I could see her face once more and we would smile heartily.

* * *

"I brought the finest sake I could find for you and you're only going to drink water?!"

Reimu's high pitched voice echoed in the house. It was filled with annoyance but more so of disappointment as I took another sip from the glass of water that my hands held. I could only look at her as she took the bottle of sake to her mouth without any form of modesty. If there was a quality of Reimu that could leave such a bad impression; it's probably her control when drinking. Right now, Reimu was out of her senses. She came to my house in her usual routine but with a brand new bottle of fine liquor to entertain us during the night. She rarely received donations from people so I was puzzled where she got this from.

I took her to the dining room and refused her invitation politely, explaining that I wasn't in the mood for such a session. She kept quiet for a while and whined like a child who just lost a toy. I couldn't help but be amused more of this. Even though I rejected her proposal, Reimu never left my side and that alone made me happy. It was an indescribable feeling that I could no longer fathom.

As time passed on, I watched the red-white miko drink in self-contentment. Her mouth never failed to tell me all her witty stories. Eventually, I found myself sipping a few amounts of liquor. The delighted miko offered and poured some more to my cup and went back hogging all the remaining content. I couldn't tell her that I barely had tolerance when it comes to this so I drank slowly so as not get intoxicated quickly. The burning sensation of the sake strolled on my throat downwards to the pit of my stomach. Even with just a few amounts, my temples started pulsing violently, wrecking all the nerves in my brain. I grabbed the nearest snack I could visualize on the table. A taste of something sweet might lessen the discomfort. Reimu's hand, in the quest of grabbing her food, touched mine and all things turned blank.

\---

It was all too sudden. As soon as her fingers touched mine, Reimu threw the sake bottle on the floor while her eyes fixed itself on my obsidian pair. She grabbed my hand and pulled my face towards hers. Her half parted lips caught mine. Right there and now, I lost control. She darted her tongue inside my mouth and I could only hope that I welcomed her in her expectation. The insides of her mouth were like a fiery pit; my tongue went numb as I explored every part of such orifice. Reimu played with the buttons of my blouse, and before I knew it, she had undone all of it so skillfully. She toyed with my chest, brushing but an inch away from the bosoms that grew swollen from her persistent teasing. I had expected that; Reimu was far from the people I'd known. While she had her ways to get her hands on something she wanted, it was never in a direct approach. She would prolong her actions until the time she would finally be satisfied. I was consumed with lust that Reimu would probably refuse to quench on my own. I could only wait for her to make her move.

\---

"Alice?"

And then I snapped. Everything that had happened was nothing more but my weird fantasy; a fraud of my longing towards the person involved. Reimu held my hand, gripped it rather, and stared at my distant look with an expression so delicate like glass. I had never seen her as fragile as she did at that moment.

"Um, I'm going to the washroom for a bit."

She released my hand as I stood up from the chair. Reimu looked perplexed; her eyes followed me as I began walking further from the dining table. I avoided her gaze; that incredible piercing gaze of hers that could even look into your soul. Still, her fixed stare did not waver. I ran upstairs. The gravity of this feeling was too much for me to handle.

Inside the washroom, I stood in silence and comfort overcame me. My breathing had turned ragged. I had to wash all the remaining fragments of prudency on my face or else I would forcefully stop myself from looking straight at her face again. After all, my respect for the miko exceeded all other things. Even a youkai such as myself should still look pristine in the presence of her unblemished demeanor.

"Ugh..."

Reimu.

_Passion, crave, hunger. My mind roared._

Reimu.

_Mind-blowing, life-changing, and an all-consuming…lust._

What a laughable irony. Here I am in front of the mirror, trying to destroy the cause of my attachment towards her yet in the process, my burning desire wished for nothing more but to desecrate her completely. The more I ran, the more the fire vehemently consumed my heart. With my sanity at stake, I bit my lip so hard that blood came out. There was a tingling sensation: both painful and pleasant that the urge died immediately. Strangely, the cold settling into my body didn't inspire me to run for warmth. Instead, I felt heavy, too exhausted to stay on my feet. My body was on the verge of sinking to the ground.

I tried to catch my breath as I entered again the place where I left her. I had expected her to run to me, to wail, to get angry because I hid in self-contempt. I had expected things beyond my control yet only silence answered me back. My confidence almost crumbled. I could no longer hear her voice or her unbecoming laughter.

The dining room was still and dead like due to the absence of sound. The lights were off and the moonshine alone splendored my surroundings. I walked within an iron curtain. I could feel the dire urge to run away again, even though I kept my actual movements as slow as possible.

The anxiety wore out after a few steps. I caught sight of her sleeping figure on the sofa and in its most fragile form, without defenses or whatsoever. I found her imprudence disturbing but apparently, the normalcy of the sofa bothered me even more: a simple shade of grey without any motifs to match the ethereal beauty before my eyes. She deserved something even better. However, the miko's face looked so serene: pellucid and clear that I brushed my flaky annoyance right away. In her deep slumber, the indisputable woman I knew no longer carved the fear she always compelled. Perhaps this was her true nature, from the time she was born, even before we met, Reimu was the type of person that needed protection more than anybody. She slept like a child, like a normal human freed from blame and the responsibility of her role.

I sat on the bolster of the settle's open space. Reimu was so close. I had never felt her body within this proximity. Even when we talked face to face, I could always feel a certain distance between us. Maybe we formed the wall ourselves or the wall was already there and neither of us knew it existed. I had no qualm about that. The fact that I could come close to her was more than enough. She was a noteworthy individual. The greatest of youkai loved her. I am insignificant. Even if I try best, nobody would make an effort to notice what I do.

As much I admire her, I couldn't help but let the flames of jealousy consume my heart. Reimu had everything I wanted: power and attention. In my case, I had to make and break to attain those but this woman only had to live her life and everything would just go the way she wanted. Life is never fair.

Her unfathomable unguarded self never lessened. Her perfection seemed like an endless backdrop where Reimu was just a normal human deprived of any otherworldly intervention. Just like prey caught within the web of a hungry spider, she just lazed on the sofa as I allowed the flames to consume me further. I pressed my chest on hers and looked at her unmoving features. Her neatly tied neckerchief came undone from the movements of my atrocious jaws. I moved my face towards her collar. I could smell her scent so thoroughly now.

A lovely, meaty, and inviting smell.

I lost all my thoughts and before I knew it, I had already mashed my mouth to her neck. The force of my bite nearly knocked me off; it felt like I could rip her skin if I let go. However, my jaundiced mind told me to hurt her more; to violate her and make her suffer the same pain.

"This is your fault," I whispered in my mind, hoping that she would hear them.

As I busy myself sucking her neck, I moved my hand and entered the space of her blouse. Her body reflexively reacted a little from the touch. My fingers traveled from her slender waistline toward her veiled chest; my touch ghosting her skin as it moved inch by inch. My heartbeat felt like the loudest thing until I could feel hers beneath my fingertips and her breathless whisper finally reached my ears.

"…you can do it rougher if you want."

Just like that, I couldn't resist her. All I had kept: my feelings, my resentment, my weaknesses, all surged out the moment I heard her voice. I couldn't see her face clearly, but I knew her cheeks were strained with a flush of emotion. She knew that even a light touch would draw a gasp from her lips and the composure she had always worn would crumble in front of me. Her hands curled around the nape of my neck. There was a dark swollen red blemish on her neck when I released her, and she cowered to the side to meet my face. Her red eyes gleamed almost surreal in the darkness. There was no animosity or even a piece of apprehension on her face only…longing.

There's just no way I can control myself now.

Invisible strings wrapped around her body slowly: her wrists, ankles, neck, the sides of her breasts and thighs preventing her from further agitation. Reimu looked like the most perfect doll I have ever created. Close enough to an autonomous doll I've always dreamed of. I could only smirk at the sight of her helplessness. Her bemused groan was silenced by my lips on hers and nothing more than that. We never knew quite what we were doing, but we did it anyway.

Her leg shifted involuntarily and her crossed arms pulled my face closer. Breathless, we savored each other's tongue. The kiss grew deep and powerful, almost obliterating all my thoughts and the outside world. I heard her breath out my name and her name in return escaped from mine. We were both lost in a frenzy that we never expected to become a reality. It would have been impossible to be unmoved by such a situation, but I stopped caring about my feelings. Reimu's gasp caused a tremble on her hold. I wanted nothing but her pleasure: whatever pleasure it was that I could grant.

I settled my hand between her thighs. The strings coiled around her warm quarter forced them to open for my hand to coast down on her private flesh. There was but a little resistance and eventually, Reimu had only looked at me in the eyes. Her eyes burned with a passion I could not recognize until she pulled my face for another hungry kiss. Her breathing became labored and every time I explored her mouth with maddening urgency, she would jolt upright in a series of convulsion.

I began to invade the inside of her undergarment. Her smooth warm skin changed to slick heat the moment I touched her folds. In her apparent arousal, I craved more of her insides as if possessed. Reimu looked helpless as I violated her innermost sanctum; a place she had probably never pleasured even once or even dared to. She cried softly in a meaningless one-sided battle against an unrecognized felicity where her body trembled in every thrust. I felt her anxiety grew in every momentum of my fingers. She could only accept the pillage brought to her by my lust and I felt disgusted with myself. Reimu could have lived an even better life or even find a man to marry and yet the rapture of violating the shrine maiden was enough to freeze my sympathy for the future I wish for her to have.

"It's fine."

She responded in the middle of relish almost as if she just read my mind. I studied Reimu's eyes, mesmerized by the way they seemed to have grown permissive in her conviction.

"I want you."

I stayed still for a long time after that, even when her crossed arms around me softened and fell on the couch. Finally, her eyes had mellowed. Within them were flames of ambition: strong and unbreakable, a feature so exemplary and unmatchable. But this woman in front was nowhere near perfect; her feelings were not vague from her practiced idealism. She told me what was in her mind straight out and I could only look at her almost in disbelief. The answer was already in my mouth but I stopped for the second time to give myself a moment to accept the reality in front of me.

Her subtle honestly is probably why I am madly in love with her.

"Uuuu…."

"A-Alice?!"

I did not know what came to me but because I thought of things so thoroughly that I failed to realize the warm droplets that fell on my eyes. They left a painful; almost bittersweet trail of agitation. Reimu looked at me perplexed. Her strong eyes appeared disoriented at what she had perceived at the moment. For once, she was lost of words. I too, made myself lost in the moment and voluntarily allowed the bottled feelings inside me to crack and burst.

"….."

She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me for an embrace. It felt so…comfortable and soothing for some reason. For a small girl of her stature, Reimu had robust arms. They gave a sense of security. It was different from that time where she grabbed me with urgency. I felt it, perhaps even in just a passing second; her need in the very same caliber as mine.

"I'm sorry", she whispered. I buried my face on her chest, heaving actively together with that fundamental part that completes a human being: her heart. It felt so close that I swore it might burst in a minute now.

"I have no experience in handling situations like this."

She laughed meekly. It sounded pitiful. She stopped talking for a while, looked to the side and bit her lip. At last, she sighed and began to speak.

"I am the shrine maiden of Gensokyo. My existence in itself is to breathe with the world I've been obligated to. Therefore, a triviality such as a mere interaction with the denizen of the utopia is outside of my responsibility. It is an unfruitful concept of my nature of being"

She caressed my hair, playing the strands with her fingers impishly. I left my face buried in her face still but I can feel those boundless crimson eyes of hers looking at me as she continued,

"As I have said, my existence alone is to protect Gensokyo from any threat. I do not have any matter or business to take care of outside of that boundary. Yukari and even the Yamaxanadu are living reminders that I should not stray from this."

"However," Her embrace tightened; her heart finally taking control.

"Despite the constant naggings of my obligation in my head, I've come to enjoy the company of the people in this world. They are fun, ridiculously stupid, relaxing to be with, carefree, untroubled by problems; the very description of a being I've been denied to experience. Marisa, Suika, Sakuya, Sanae, the tengu and the fairies…"

"…and you, Alice. "

"I am grateful that I met you guys and that I could partake in such enjoyable normality."

I remained silent. I understand now. I can finally understand you, Reimu. You looked always tempered, unmoving and perfect above all but deep inside, you were just lonely. You are strong; so divine in a sense but these qualities stripped you from living a normal life. You struggle every day to make things normal; to make living a convenient matter for you so that you don't stand out too much. I couldn't imagine the life of a Hakurei but for some reason, I really couldn't help but feel sympathetic.

"Alice?"

"Yes?"

"Treating others equally has also become a conduct followed by the Hakurei bloodline. To become a perfect exterminator, closure or dependency on people is considered a taboo for us. In a sense, we see things in balance like marble with just simple shades of black and white."

We both took our seats and left the comfortable position that held us just a second ago. She rested her back almost casually on the sofa and I sat without any importance of sort; my ears open to hear more from her lips. I have to admit that this was the first time Reimu said something about herself.

"But one incident last year shook my heart."

My eyes widened. She was talking about the endless winter that also got me involved.

"I met someone on my way to the Netherworld"

During my search, I was finally able to catch the red white that I've been yearning for years.

"…and I fell in love at first sight."

And I've been in love with that person ever since.

"How do I put this? When I first saw her, she was …fragile. She had a sharp tongue, yes I have to admit that but the look on her eyes gave that feeling of forlorn. She looked like an abandoned animal: lost, confused but fierce with her fangs out in the open. I was attracted to that. How refreshingly honest, I thought."

She stretched her arms wide on the air and closed her eyes before breathing a sigh of content.

"It came as a surprise to me though when she attacked me head front almost immediately after exchanging a simple pleasantry."

Reimu playfully nudged my side. Uh, well I guess I am to be blamed for that. The excitement of fighting someone strong just took the better of my judgment at that time. In the end, even the overbearing pride I had lived with wasn't enough to defeat her; to defeat a person with such a placid virtue it was nearly moving.

"After the incident settled, that girl often visited the shrine with an open yet questioning mind. I welcomed and entertained her as a proper guest like what I do every time."

She looked up at the empty ceiling; a faint smile formed on her lips as she closed her eyes as she reminisces the past.

"She and I would talk afterward and enjoy the company of each other. I answered her queries with the best of my knowledge; I wasn't experienced when it comes to one on one conversation so it was an odd feeling overall."

Reimu made a weird look on her face.

"I was certain that I gave her the impression of being such an oddball for being so stiff and bland."

I couldn't help but chuckle at her emphasis on being so "stiff and bland". To be honest, it didn't matter. I went there to converse with a friend even though she couldn't possibly remember who I was. Reimu and I never really spoke with each other during our first meeting in Makai but I knew, in my heart that she was the very same person who defeated my mother and made quite a scene in Pandemonium.

"Right. Reimu Hakurei is an oddball."

I gave her a smile, eyes looking at her pairs mischievously. I noticed her react. Her crimson eyes widened and her face suddenly flushed like the color of red gemstones only lightly but it was still cute nonetheless. Seeing the great shrine maiden flustered is something else.

"Um, yes." She cleared her throat. She looked downwards; her eyes unfocused and tense. She moved her head shyly away so that I won't be able to see her face, probably inflamed. I couldn't help but be touched. Her prudish reaction almost left a pang in my heart. One, because I've never seen her like this. Two, well, it's adorable to see it from the Shrine Maiden of Paradise herself. I reached out to touch her face and pressed my lips on her forehead, feeling the suppleness. Reimu made a little shriek from the touch. Her body stiffened at the contact of my lips on her skin. I planned to just end it with that but her cute reaction ended up pushing more buttons I had hoped to ignore. I felt her breathing quicken, her shoulders in motion running for her desire as she tried to comprehend what was going on or what her body was trying to tell her.

She was conscious this time and she had probably realized this. Her words of confession were genuine but now in front of her object of affection, her whispers had transformed into unfathomable words. Sentences full of metaphors like a first-time poet trying to woo his beloved. She loves me and I love her more than she could think of. But this time, she was lost. Within the clarity of her feelings, she found her admittance boundless that yield to nobody. Such certain intimacy; the slick heat of two bodies together, the coarse to gentle touches had probably gone up to her brain and processed it something as foreign. Something she had overlooked ever since.

She is the great shrine maiden of Hakurei who answered to everyone but needed no one close to her heart. She had finally stepped out of this ideal and fell in love with the most unlikely. The thought made me smirk. I probably made an expression quite off of the cool demeanor people noticed about me but I wasn't bothered showing this imperfection for once.

I wanted her to see everything. All of which is me.

I moved my fingers on her back, not breaking my gaze, soft but full of intentions. She seemed fazed. It must have been the fingers continuously making trails on her shoulder or how I looked at her so intensely I could nearly grab those deep orbs. Maybe both. I couldn't care less. I want her right now. I want to feel her even more.

"Reimu, I really like you…" I whispered just below her earlobe which turned red after the contact of hot air. She flinched once again but this time, she moved her head to nearly lock with half parted lips.

"I think you're beautiful." Her words surprised me and took me off guard. Before I could speak, I felt her lips in contact with mine. It was warm. Everything was suddenly warm. The feeling of her beautiful orifice; one which I had deeply yearned for had sent tiny jolts to my chest and it made me hot. I felt my quarter fidgeting below. The great sanctum which a woman valued in her body was whispering to me in dire need of how badly it wanted to be addressed. How badly it wanted to feel another skin. Her skin, her hands - her gorgeous little fingers. I yearn to feel them inside.

It was probably a coincidence or perhaps another lucky streak of her infamous intuition for I have felt Reimu hands casually prodding down to my thighs, uneasy and oh so slowly. It did not go all the way as she discontinued her quest, looked at my eyes and said,

"Can I?" Her voice was mellow but full of craving.

I didn't answer her with words but I satisfied her query by shifting my body closer to her hand, opening my legs and inviting it further.

Again, she looked at me, observed the frail figure in front of her, vulnerable and enthralling and we stayed like that for a minute. It was an eternity of rapture being appraised by her like I had a value worth needing. I've never been so embarrassed but it felt more of feeling such strong emotion rather than bearing the weakness of someone bare.

I've waited as the thrill consumed me but Reimu didn't do anything. She just observed so calmly, her hand passive and unmoving.

"Rei-" A jolt; a sudden euphoric stream of the unknown coursed through my veins and left my words hanging. Energy? Maybe. I felt all of my senses escalated to the highest peak. In between the transition of normality and to that euphoria that I was about to experience, I heard Reimu's soft giggle. Her red eyes grew shallow, her lips pursed and her breast swollen like an animal that had found her mate, calmly giving the right cues to be taken.

It was then that I felt it. An ofuda. Reimu had skillfully placed an ofuda on my lips. A charm or a weapon depending on what the owner fashioned it to be used hang on my lips and kept them at bay. It tasted like a crummy piece of paper, light almost ironically powerless because of its volume but it was enough to paralyze my entire body. Bare and now helpless, I felt nothing more than shame. A proud youkai plucked off of her dignity. It was revolting and I felt disgusted with myself for giving into such fixation.

What came as even more surprising was when she simply, so lightly touched my shoulder with her other hand and it was enough to send me to a mental state of ecstasy.

"Mmgh!" I mumbled in between. The feeling was overbearing I simply want to rip it off and scream but Reimu would not allow me so. She continued her advances, trailing her hand on my spine like what I have done so before. As her hand traveled, the frenzy of pleasure amplified. It was a very raw feeling that even thinking was exaltation in itself.

"It's a little something I prepared." She said huskily, her hand moved on its way and stopped on my waist. Vulnerable as I am right now, I waited for what was to come next even if just thinking about what she would do next was enough to make me reach my climax.

"You can think of it as a convenient aphrodisiac." So she said; her hand now in contact with my folds, desperate and begging. Reimu moved her fingers slightly upwards, feeling the dampness and continued on my most private. She made shapes, from circles to check marks, concentrating on the most sensitive part. I could not stop myself from moaning and I could feel how turned on she was as well.

Using her other hand, she cupped my face and kissed me, or attempted to do so not with the ofuda in between our needing lips. She was panting just as much as I was. Her breasts mashed on mine, heaving together like an unstoppable force. The heat was also unbearable. The windows were open but the night breeze wasn't enough to satiate us from this form of salacity, like children lost in their world, needing and clinging. Filled with curiosity.

But we were adults. The very driving force was that we want each other differently. A way that even friendship cannot comprehend. The limit of something normal, of something everyone had experienced in their everyday life but human curiosity is indeed fascinating that they do things to pass the line of innocence to the desire of the flesh. We are both women but the label of sex doesn't tame the impulse that dwelled in our being; an untamed drive now trying to get out.

"I want you right now..." Perhaps the ofuda was too powerful that it even affected the owner or was I really that sexually appealing in her eyes that was enough to invoke such emotion? I've never seen myself in that way but some people, like Marisa, had told me that I had the look of an exotic human being. My face had such an otherworldly feature like I did not belong to anyone; a feature that could not be grasped or understood. But I've always seen myself as someone ordinary so I never took this kind of compliment well. Had I not left Makai, would people still see me like this or was everything but a mere illusion of Gensokyo?

Reimu gently pushed my body on the couch as I lost myself in thought. At that moment, the thing that I've wanted ever since, she had given it with all her heart. She prodded the inside, basked in its feverish corners and took over everything without peeling away those flaring eyes of hers. Her actions were greatly encouraged by the strange elation she made me feel. In and out, I felt her finger moved with such potency. One, no, two fingers. She casually moved in her pacing to scrutinize my pleasure. I had not minded this timidity from the maiden for I allowed her to go inside even deeper; desiring to feel her even more.

"Ahh..."

Reimu released me from her spell of enchantment and I could feel my temperature dampening back to normal. My quick breathing turned into gasps and moans as her fingers never stopped prodding the insides. She exhaled just as heavily as if aroused. Her action came with such imperativeness and before I knew it, I was nearing my climax again.

But I wouldn't like to hog all the fun. I think my little red-white deserves to feel such exploding rapture her adept fingers had made me experience.

"You're too cute when you're being desperate. My insides might grow numb." Before she could reply and her fingers unstopping even at the sound of my little protest, I summoned back the invisible strings I used to casually put her in place. Gently, I wrapped my arms around her neck, brushing so lightly on her charcoal hair. Reimu closed her eyes for a moment but never discontinued the movement of her fingers inside me. Fearing that I might lose myself again if I let her be, I lifted my head and blew on her ear, whispering altogether sweet nothings. The sensation made her shy away; her cheeks and ears once again embellished by the shade of red. It was an automatic response that made me chuckle. Caught off guard, Reimu looked at me addled as I take her again in my possession.

"I think I need to…get used to this kind of play." She said, half smiling, no longer bothered by the sudden shifting of roles.

"You really should be, my dear." My voice could not settle with the strange elation it carried as I humored her. I lifted her body using the strings that are within my jurisdiction and pushed her on the wall with my weight. Reimu seemed weightless as I moved her in any way I pleased. After hoisting both of her arms on top of her head, without a sound of a grunt, I grew mesmerized at the sight. I raised her higher so that her crotch area was near my face, giving me access to her pleasure. Her smooth thighs were treasures to behold. Reimu could only look at how I toyed with her body which she had kept sacred for years. She was silent; her face still ablaze in the folly. I removed her garments in my pacing until the shrine maiden was completely bare. Her body basked at the remaining light in the room.

For a moment, I could hear our breathing in unison. I was still filled with such powerful sexual urges and the sight of my Reimu looking so helpless like this was all too entrancing.

"Hi there." I greeted her pink bud with great regard, admiring its structure now that I had a glimpse of it up close. Reimu nearly exploded with anger but she stopped to catch her breath and cried out as I gave it a nudge with my nose, doing it intentionally to shut her up.

"You're not playing fair, Alice…" She said with a bashful voice, biting her lip and trying her best not scream again. Did I answer her with something witty? I could not remember. The last thing my conscious mind could assess was the sudden urge to claim her beckoning oyster. It had a peculiar taste. It was both salty and sweet. It had an aroma so out of the ordinary but the more I draw in of this scent of hers, the stronger the desire to accommodate it further. Reimu tried to move her legs to save herself from the stimulation but I opened them wider each time with the strings coiled around if she did so. Eventually, she grew tired of protesting, screaming my name over and over again. Her juices flowed out like a geyser. My tongue moved with a life of its own, lapping every secretion she had. It was too much. I couldn't control myself. My mind went completely blank listening to the woman's beautiful serenades. Never in my life have I dreamed of doing this with the shrine maiden. Reimu was the sweetest thing I had in my life. More than a peach snack from heaven or the finest sake in a banquet, her delicious sex was driving me insane. Enough was never a word from the start.

"Alice! I-If you keep on doing it like that, I-I…I'm going to-!"

I already knew what she meant and her voice gave me a sense of indescribable satisfaction. Instead of replying with words, I looked at her eyes – now with tears on its corners, and darted my fingers inside without so much of a warning.

"!"

I pulled her down with the strings - her head now at the same level as mine. She was in tears, moaning and panting all at once, disoriented at the wave of pleasure that would come. I continued to observe her messed up face. It was weird that even though the cluster of emotions was as brazen as fire on the shrine maiden's face, Reimu looked nothing closer to someone imperfect. Not minding my impatience, I exerted more force to every thrust going inside her sweet pot, spreading her legs and stripping her dignity at the same time. – kissing her needing lips which tasted salty from tears.

I felt her walls tightened and eventually, her release became apparent too. Reimu wrapped both her arms and legs around me. I waited for her to settle down before putting her exhausted body on the sofa.

"I love you."

…was the very last thing I heard before I blanked out. I could not tell if those words came from my lips or hers.

* * *

It was morning before I knew it. The sunlight which passed through the window pane nearly burned through my eyes shutters and it was such a convenient wake-up procedure. I got up and stretched my hands to fight off the weariness. So it wasn't a dream. The lovely scent of Reimu was all around the room and it somehow gave me both a feeling of security and a series of lingering doubts. She slept like a little child beside me with her arm angled on her breasts and the other resting under her head. The bruises made by the strings were still undoubtedly fresh on her skin but they didn't make her any less compelling. She still bloomed miraculously and I was too scared to touch her; fearing that she would burst to nothingness and everything would revert to that pitiful world of solitude I've grown used to: a world without her closure.

"Mmn?" Her red pupils were now like visible gemstones. Reimu looked at me with tired eyes. She lazily shifted her body to face my back and made cute gestures of beckoning. I answered her curtsy by lying back on the couch, wrapping my arms around her waist. She made a little yelp when I buried my head on her chest and hugged her tighter.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Her hand moved to caress my hair with such gentle strokes.

"I figure that…" I answered in a whisper, ignoring the tone of pity it had. "If I don't bring you closer to me, you might just vanish again like last time." The thought of her disappearing right now terrified me more than anything else. She made a soft laugh but I did not bother to see her spontaneous reaction and continued to cling to her like a child. Reimu never said anything as well. Feeling my anxiety, she held my hand, filling the little spaces between my fingers with hers.

_Knock knock._  
_ Knock knock._

I heard the knocking more than once but I was too happy to even bother stripping myself away from her embrace.

"Ah, whatever. I'll just use the goddamn window."

It came as a surprise when Reimu suddenly holstered herself on top of me. She pressed my wrist on the couch and dropped her weight on my chest. I heard her chuckle before I felt her lips mashed on my mouth. My mind lost immediately to the assault. Her tongue was skillfully violating every detail of my opening which was enough to weaken me down to my knees; where being submissive feels so weirdly…natural.

"Sup, Alice! I came here to ask if you have finished reading…the…books…"

…and Marisa just had to see this side of mine.

"Oh, Marisa? Fancy seeing you here." Reimu greeted her, surrendering her claim to my lips and it gave me enough time to catch my breath. However, she never released my arms to cover my shame as she continued to converse with the new visitor. My face burned just as quick after learning her intention. She wanted Marisa to see me like this. The black-white mongrel looked at us with eyes big as saucers – even bigger, mind you. Her prized broom dropped on the floor just in tandem with the drooping of her jaws. I saw her completely flustered and out of words and the woman on top me was enjoying her – or rather our - reaction quite a lot.

"Reimu~ Where are you? I feel so loooneeeelyyy~"

But the awkwardness did not end there. A giddy voice from a woman coming out from a distorted looking gap popped right beside the dumbfounded magician. She wore a purple and white dress decorated by trigrams on the middle and high leather boots to complete the getup. Her long blonde hair looked disheveled, like a person who just woke up after months of hibernating – which is probably true in her case but it did not dethrone any piece of elegance in her. Reimu and I looked at her and the graceful woman squinted her eyes towards us before she realized the grandeur of her entrance.

"…It really is nice to be young." She said, covering her mouth with her hand to save herself from laughing in an unrefined way. She bowed like a jest and took Marisa's arm to hers.

"H-Hey! What do you think you're doi-!"

She couldn't finish her bellyache as the youkai forcefully shoved the black-white inside the gap. Giving Reimu a 'go' signal with her thumb, Yukari casually hopped inside the gap. Marisa screamed from the inside with such a revolting screech.

"That sure was a sight for sore eyes." Reimu finally voiced out. Her position from before never changed but it grew more forceful and domineering. Her face was still composed even though two people – aside from myself – had seen her naked in the ruckus.

"Now where were we..?"

"W-Wait a minute, Reimu…!" I was filled with such great remorse that I wanted to get out of the house and bury my head on the ground – near a mushroom patch to make that look even more laughable. Reimu ignored my plight and lowered her head again to meet my lips with hers. I blocked those hungry beasts with my free hand. The sudden dejection surprised her but it made the fire in her eyes burn even brighter.

"Your reactions are just too cute, Alice."

"….uuu…"

Yep. I am completely hopeless.

**Author's Note:**

> Please believe me when I say that this pairing is the death of me (as much as I ship YukaRei in this fandom).


End file.
